Let’s be honest — we’re far too negligent with our passwords. Everyone has done it — using the same password for many accounts to make it simpler to remember. And because no one has harmed our accounts thus far, we believe our passwords to be strong.
Are you sure you are using a strong password for every online account? Do you follow all necessary precautions to safeguard your super secure password from hackers?
Still ambivalent? Then this article is for you.
A password for your online account is more than something that grants access — it protects your online data; it protects your privacy. But it also doesn’t mean simply creating a password shields your data from hackers. Else you should make sure that how strong your password is and that you are following all necessary precautions to protect your secure password from a possible data breach.
Almost any inexperienced hacker can now brute-force your password. According to some information security experts, guessing a typical user’s password takes roughly three hours.
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How to create a strong password?
Creating a strong password is not a hectic task. There are many online password generators out there to do it for you. But passwords created by those generators are some random characters in a senseless way. I am sure you wouldn’t remember them next time when you try to log in. So create one by yourself. Create one with words that you font of — that you remember without noting it anywhere. But make sure the password is strong enough to withstand a cyber attack.
Here are some tips for creating a strong password. Tweak your current password according to these tips.
1. Avoid easy-to-crack passwords
First, avoid the most generic type of passwords. Like “12345“, “<yourName>123“, “QWERTY“, names of close family members or friends, your name, words in the dictionary, common names etc. All these are considered weak passwords and easy to hack.
2. A long password is always a strong password
Yes, long passwords are always strong passwords because a password with all lowercase 6 characters can be hacked within 10 minutes. So prefer at least 10-15 character length for your password. And don’t forget to string an easily remembered phrase together to create a password that’s harder to crack.
eg: Password: techlogwebmaster360
3. Add complexity with additional characters
Simply making the character length to 10-15 is not a strong password. Tweak your password by adding additional characters and the use of upper case letters, numbers and symbols. Passwords like these are difficult to crack, may be impossible.
eg: Password after tweak: #TECHlogwebm@$ter360
Follow these tips next time while creating a password. Just know, the easier is a password to remember, easier it is to crack. While, the harder a password to remember, harder it is to crack.
How to safeguard your super secure password from hackers?
Now you have a strong password. Make it more secure by following these tips.
1. Double check websites you enter login credentials
Always be cautious about websites you enter your username and password. Because may cybercriminals can compromise your account with a mere phishing attack. So don’t forget to double each time.
- Check the website is protected with SSL certificate — URL starts with https://.
- Check domain name spellings.
Whatever you do, don’t let other people know what your passwords are. Don’t brag that all your banking information and other important accounts are protected by a password that is your child’s name and birthday. And if someone needs access to your account for anything, don’t tell them the password. If you must give them access to an account, type your information in yourself.
3. Change passwords every 3 months like a toothbrush
It will be safe if you change your passwords every 3 months. Changing passwords often is important because passwords are sometimes stolen without the knowledge of the victim, and stolen passwords often aren’t used immediately. They’re collected, sold to organized crime, rebundled and resold, and left unused for some time. Even if you’re not aware your password was stolen, if you change it periodically you may change it before a thief has an opportunity to use it.
4. Activate Two-Factor Authentication
Even strong passwords aren’t 100 percent hacker-proof. This is where two-factor authentication comes in handy. This means that to access your accounts, you not only enter a password but also verify that you’re accessing your account by either confirming through an auto-sent email or text message or by biometrics. This gives your accounts an extra layer of protection.
5. Use a different password for different accounts
This is important, always use different passwords for different accounts. Means different password for your Email account or social network account. Because if your password is stolen in a data breach then you should expect that the crooks will try it out on Facebook, Twitter, WordPress and any other websites they think you might be using too.
I know for some people it is hard to remember different passwords, so they mostly use the same passwords for their all online accounts. Remember, today’s web browsers, can save passwords for each account, and if you do forget, almost every website allows you to retrieve and/or change that password or use password manager apps like Keeper.
Every day we come across the news regarding hackers compromising different accounts. The fact is that most of them are happened due to the implementation of weak passwords for your online accounts. Hackers compromise your personal accounts by different methods. In fact knowing the anatomy of data breach sometimes doesn’t protect your online data.
So upgrade your security with a better password — a strong password, a super secure password — today itself. Because your online data is precious and you are the only one responsible for it, so make sure you have done all the necessary steps to safeguard it.
Why is a strong password important?
A good password keeps you secure online. Every day, brute-force assaults and numerous data breaches occur, impacting personal and professional accounts. As a result, each account requires a unique password to secure your personal information and funds.
Should You Use Password Managers?
Using password managers is a great move. The password manager will assist you in changing passwords on your accounts on time and will automatically provide you with a strong password when creating a new account.
